What do green home buyers look for in a choosing a house in 2010? These trends show just how more sophisticated that eco-house market is becoming.
Here are 7 things that makes an eco-home attractive to buyers.
1. Energy efficiency. This sort of defines the eco-home itself. People are looking for houses that have good thermal isolation, LED lightings, efficient windows to capture as much natural light and heat as possible.
2. Renewable energy. The basic is the solar water heater. This alone is known to reduce 30-40% of a home’s electric bill and not only save residents money but reduce their carbon footprint. Other popular renewable energy appliances include wind turbines and solar panels.
3. Solar tubes. These are real neat inventions. They are pipes that runs from the roof of the house to any room or dark closet you want. The tubes bring natural daylight inside and literally eliminate the need for daytime lights ever being used.
4. Smaller rather than bigger. The new eco-trends mandate as little waste as possible. People are looking for homes that fit their needs and nothing more. All extra rooms, wings, etc, that are to be never or rarely used would rather be excluded altogether. This ties back to energy efficiency. Smaller houses are easier and cheaper to power.
5. Fireplaces might be charming but are not eco-friendly and thus a no-no. You can still get the home fire going if you use gas instead of organic matter. The newest fireplaces require no gas hookup and instead rely on clean-burning denatured ethanol.
6. Hard surface floors such as concrete, stone, cork, natural linoleum, bamboo, and wood are a must. People are shying away from carpet which contain chemicals, house bugs and are difficult to clean.
7. Location. Mainly walking distance to parks, shopping areas, schools, etc. Biking and walking are not surprisingly preferred to driving to your daily destinations.
(Article adapted from Technorati)
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